This invention relates generally to electronic communications and, more particularly, to a method by which a sender of an electronic communication can validate receipt of an electronic communication by an intended receiver.
Electronic communication, such as for example e-mail, is a form of written data, a data-string, that is transported electronically such as on the Internet. Specific protocols governing certain aspects of the way one machine electronically passes information in the form of data-strings to another machine have been established to facilitate communication between different brands of machines running different software. Various protocols have been developed to standardize the methods by which data are transported from one computer to another computer such as on Local Area Networks (LAN), Wide Area Networks (WAN), and the Internet. This standardization was developed to allow computers and computer programs from differing commercial sources to be as compatible as possible.
The Internet Protocol (IP) that directs or routes a data-string from one computer to another is what is called a best efforts protocol, a method that involves a series of computer instructions that attempts to deliver a data-string to its intended location, but that does not guarantee its delivery. This means that the data-string can get lost or damaged before reaching the intended recipient. The Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) works in conjunction with IP in an attempt to ensure that data-string is sent error-free, complete, and in the proper sequence. However, it does not insure correct delivery. The Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) provides for standardized error messages to be issued when a fault occurs in transmission. Standardized status codes (such as described in Kleinsin, et al; Network Working Group Request for Comments: 1869; STD: 10: Obsoletes: 1651; Category: Standards Track; November, 1995) provide information for generating error messages that indicate whether or not a computer in the net or network of computers used to pass the data-string has been unable to do so. Such an Error message is exemplified by:
xe2x80x9c----The following addresses had delivery problems ----
 less than nosuchuser@dbc.mtview.ca.us greater than 
(Mailbox xe2x80x9cnosuchuserxe2x80x9d does not exist)xe2x80x9d
When delivery occurs a message such as xe2x80x9c---Mail was successfully relayed to the following addresses---xe2x80x9d may be provided. However, no information is provided by through the use of these protocols via the respective protocol server regarding whether the intended recipient has retrieved the email and/or the attachments.
Business people and others need to verify that an important transaction once sent has been received by the intended recipient. The main obstacle to widespread commercial use of electronic communications, such as for example email and email attachment, is the lack of the ability to verify that the email and/or attachment was received by the intended recipient. Email must be sent on unsecured pathways, pathways where the email can be mis-directed, lost, and/or altered. It is highly desirable to the sender to be able to verify that the intended recipient has received an important email. It is also desirable to the sender to know that the intended information in electronic message was received as written or sent.
The instant invention comprises a software application for use with a computer that is part of or has access to an electronic network including at least one other computer and a method for use of the software application that provides a sender of an electronic communication such as an email, a receipt for verification of delivery of the electronic communication by a recipient. The sender may use a conventional email program or the instant invention to compose the email. The email (xe2x80x9celectronic mailxe2x80x9d) may have graphics and/or attachments, each of which is termed a data-string herein. Unlike a conventional email program, each data-string is directed to a unique electronic address, such as for example an IP (Internet Protocol) address or hostname, on a computer that is independent of the recipient""s computer. Only a notification that an email or an email plus an attachment is awaiting retrieval is sent to the recipient and appears at their computer. The notification provides the recipient with the unique electronic retrieval location(s), such as a unique IP address for an email message or two unique email addresses for an email accompanied by an attachment, located on a mail server to which the recipient can direct their computer using software to retrieve the data-string(s). Each recipient is provided with a unique address to retrieve their email even when the recipient is merely receiving a copy of an email that has been broadcast to a number of recipients. In one embodiment, a computer having access to the Internet is used as the mail server. In an alternate embodiment, the mail server is located on a LAN (local area network) such as for example for use for infra-office email within a business. Upon retrieval of the data-string, the sender is notified electronically via email and information regarding the retrieval transaction is stored in a back-end database.
For example, when the data-string is sent via the Internet, the user who is the sender composes an email message and attaches any text or images as required. Once the message is composed and sent, the instant invention parses that data-string while determining the appropriate recipients. The parsed data-string is placed on the World Wide Web (also termed the Web or the Internet or the Net) by waiting until at least one appropriate data-string transfer and retrieval means, such as for example a HyperText Transport Protocol (http) call provides an available address at a port of a computer the instant invention is monitoring. More addresses will be needed to match data-string to address when, for example, a single email data-string is being communicated to a number of different recipients. There is exactly one unique address that will access the data-string for each specific recipient targeted to receive the data-string unless the data-string has more than one component such as a plurality of attachments. Concurrent with posting the sender""s data-string on a computer connected to a network of computers such as the Web, the instant invention sends out a notice via email that the recipient has a posted data-string or email awaiting retrieval. This message is simply a notice of the availability of the electronic communication that provides an electronic address such as a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) pointer to where the email is posted on the Web. One URL points to a single location that is uniquely assigned for each component of the data-string for each recipient using the instant invention. Alternatively, the posted email may have a URL that allows it to call for its accompanying attachment ie. the email and its accompanying documents may be electronically interlinked.
When the recipient of the email message links to a data-string via the URL pointer, the instant invention identifies the recipient by their unique IP address or hostname. As the recipient retrieves their posted email message and attachments, the instant invention notifies the sender that the posted electronic communication has been retrieved by a person at the IP address corresponding to that of the intended recipient. This notice includes the recipient""s unique IP address or hostname and a time, date stamp indicative of when the posted electronic communication was retrieved. A copy of the posted electronic communication may also be included in the notice.
An embodiment of an inventive method for verifying receipt of an electronic communication at an intended electronic address is provided by the following example comprising the steps of:
1. Sending an electronic communication comprising a data-string.
2. Posting that data-string to a unique URL on a computer connected to the Web for each unique data-string.
3. Notifying the recipient at a recipient IP address via email that they have an electronic communication awaiting retrieval at a specified unique Web URL address.
4. Validating the retrieval of the sender""s electronic communication by a recipient at an intended IP address by recognizing the recipient""s IP address or hostname when they electronically request delivery of their electronic communication.
5. Notifying the sender when the IP address or hostname match the intended IP address or hostname that the electronic communication has been retrieved and optionally passing the validating information into a back-end database.
The invention has four distinct interfaces with users: two sender interfaces and two recipient interfaces. The first sender interface is an outgoing message interface that is implemented to communicate with any SMTP client having an outgoing server that is configurable to a given IP address or hostname. This interface is not limited to what is generally considered client type programs such as for example email programs such as Eudora(copyright). The invention could interface at the first sender interface with any large server that delivers email using SMTP where the outgoing delivery IP address is capable of being configured. The first recipient interface is implemented to accommodate use with any system or application that handles delivery of electronic messages to a given recipient. This includes all POP clients, all Web-based email clients as well as any test-based email delivery and retrieval systems. The second part of the recipient interface is the data-string retrieval interface. This interface is implemented to communicate only via http (with any http browser in the embodiments described. However, the recipient interface can be implemented to accommodate any data-string retrieval mechanism. The second sender interface is the incoming interface that notifies the sender when the data-string is retrieved. In one embodiment, it is implemented as an email delivery notification and works with any system that handles delivery of email to a given recipient. This includes all POP clients, all Web based clients, as well as any text-based email retrieval systems.
In one embodiment, the instant invention communicates (also termed xe2x80x9cinterfacesxe2x80x9d) with electronic communications program, such as for example email programs Eudora(copyright), First Class Client(copyright), and Hot Mail(copyright). It can be used for electronic communication on the Internet or an Intranet, within a Local Area Network (LAN) or a Wide Area Network (WAN) environment. The invention provides a plurality of fields for data in the back-end database. Full search, browse, edit, and contact management functions are included in order to provide complete access to the stored data. Remote access functions may be configured. Thus, verification, authentication, and ease of data management are provided. Advantageously, the flow of electronic communications such as email can be controlled and documented.